Cape Town’s best galleries: a Timbuktu guide 

Over the past two decades, Cape Town has become one of the most exciting centres for contemporary African art, drawing collectors, curators and the curious from around the world. From cavernous silos transformed into a contemporary museums to intimate spaces tucked into the side streets of Woodstock, the city’s galleries are as diverse as the artists they champion. Take your time, look closely, and you’ll see why Cape Town’s art scene has become one of the most vibrant in the world…

ZEITZ MOCAA

Cape Town’s skyline wouldn’t be the same without the monumental concrete grain silos at the Waterfront – and inside them is the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), the largest museum of its kind on the continent. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the building is a work of art in itself, the honeycomb windows spilling light into enormous, cathedral-like spaces. Across the nine floors, you’ll find everything from Mary Sibande’s larger-than-life figures to Athi-Patra Ruga’s vibrant tapestries. There’s also a range of rotating international exhibitions that keep things fresh and the rooftop sculpture garden is a highlight, framing Table Mountain in ways you’ve never seen before.

Grab a bite to eat: Stay put – the Silo Hotel’s Granary Restaurant is excellent and serves a variety of bites, whilst the rooftop bar and restaurant has panoramic views across the harbour and Table Mountain.

Norval Foundation

At the foot of the Steenberg mountains, the Norval Foundation is part gallery, part sculpture garden and part conservation project – and definitely worth a visit. With beautiful indoor and outdoor installations, it’s all about slowing down, breathing in the crisp mountain air and letting your creativity flow… Inside, sleek, light-filled spaces showcase rotating exhibitions of the classic – William Kentridge’s charcoal animations are a standout – to the contemporary, while outside, you’ll find colossal bronze sculptures by Angus Taylor peering out from the fynbos. Plus, the Foundation’s commitment to education and accessibility makes the whole experience even more meaningful.

Grab a bite to eat: The on-site restaurant, Grub & Vine, serves fabulous seasonal plates alongside a sensational view of the gardens, or pop next door to Steenberg Farm for wine and tapas at Bistro Sixteen82.

Goodman Gallery

With roots stretching back to the 1960s and the anti-apartheid era, Goodman Gallery has nurtured some of the continent’s most important voices from photographers to political artists. Cape Town’s outpost, housed in a former convent in Green Point, mixes well-known names like William Kentridge and Lisa Brice with rising stars from across the continent and beyond. It’s also where some of the country’s most controversial exhibitions have played out (think Brett Murray’s Hail to the Thief), so don’t expect to walk away unmoved.

Grab a bite to eat: Head next door to Cucina, the gallery’s Italian-inspired café, for a plate of homemade pasta or a glass of wine.

WHATIFTHEWORLD

If you’re looking for the cool kids of Cape Town’s art scene, WHATIFTHEWORLD is where you’ll find them. Housed in a classic heritage building in the city centre, the gallery has a reputation for supporting – and catapulting into the limelight – some of South Africa’s most exciting young stars. In recent years, both Athi-Patra Ruga’s fantastical textiles and Kudzanai Chiurai’s impecabble collages have graced the walls, but whatever is on show, you’re guaranteed something that’s bold, witty and always thought-provoking.

Grab a bite to eat: Wander up to Bree Street, either to Sea Breeze for oysters and a glass of bubbles in the sunshine, or Between Us for a casual bite.

Everard Read

The Cape Town branch of South Africa’s oldest commercial gallery is as polished and slick as you might expect. Everard Read first opened in Johannesburg in 1913, and its Waterfront space (established in 1996) is now an icon of the city’s art circuit. Inside, you’ll find everything from glossy contemporary canvases to bold sculptures, all curated with collectors firmly in mind. But it’s not all hush-hush seriousness – pop across to the CIRCA space next door or amble through the sculpture garden and you’ll see why this century-old gallery still feels fresh.

Grab a bite to eat: You’re right by the Time Out Market at the Waterfront, where Cape Town’s best chefs and street food traders share one buzzing space with plenty of options.

Blank Projects

Tucked into exactly the type of industrial building you might expect to find in Woodstock, Blank Projects is less about pretty pictures and more about ideas. The gallery focuses on emerging and mid-career artists, with exhibitions that showcase art, politics and social commentary. Expect installations that make you think and conceptual works that surprise you – and don’t surprised if you see the gallery’s name at an art fair near you in the future! 

Coffee stop nearby: Try one of Woodstock’s many cafés for a cup of the good stuff – Espresso Lab is a favourite for serious coffee lovers.

SMAC Gallery

Sleek, minimal and achingly cool, SMAC (Stellenbosch Modern and Contemporary) showcases South African and African contemporary art with an international edge. With its white walls, ceilings and floors, the art (literally) shines, whether it’s a bold canvas, sculptural installation or a black and white photograph. SMAC really does have a knack for putting together exhibitions that feel relevant and exciting and often artists who are making waves in Europe and the US are spotlighted. If you’re keen to see what’s hot in African art right now, this is the place.

Grab a bite or drink: Try Ouzeri for Mediterranean flavours, then round off the evening with a cocktail at the Secret Gin Bar.

Southern Guild

Less gallery and more wonderland of imagination and creativity, Southern Guild is a place with serious ambition. Here, design meets art in spectacular fashion: ceramic thrones by Andile Dyalvane, fantastical seating pods by Porky Hefer, and collectible furniture that looks as though it belongs in a dreamscape. It’s bold, beautiful, and proudly African, representing the continent’s leading artists and designers at international fairs from Paris to Miami – and even if you’re not shopping for a one-of-a-kind chair, a visit here will leave you buzzing with inspiration.

Grab a bite to eat: You’re right at the V&A Waterfront, so take your pick – Willoughby’s for sushi, Harbour House for seafood with a view, or cocktails at one of the waterside bars.